Ground Wire
by MidnightGenius
Summary: Harry and Draco have held a relationship, hidden, throughout their years at Hogwarts, but circumstances are unkind and can force people to do things they don't wish to. Written through the seven books. HPDM
1. Prologue

I have a few promises to make before I start this.

First: I promise never to invent things (such as spells and omg-extended-polyjuice) that do not exist as created by our esteemed Miss J.K.Rowling

Second: I promise never to write scenes that could not, in any tiny remotely small way, have happened.((Bar the minor scene that's next, as I wrote it before I re-read the book))

Third: I promise to do at least one update a month, and I'm going to try for one a week. (If you read my other stuff, you know how bad I am with this)

* * *

He was in my arms mere moments after I made my entrance into the great hall. One minute he was sitting there, at the Slytherin table, in the same spot he always did, looking overly worried and rather haggard, and the next he was looking up, running towards me, clinging to me, and he didn't give a damn that the entire school was staring. The seven years we'd been so carefully hiding our relationship, and he blew it all away that morning. Before, only Snape, Ron, Hermione, and the Weasley twins knew of our relationship. Now it was the entire school. Not that I blamed him, really; he'd been wondering if I was even alive or not for a while. My fault. And it felt so good to hold him in my arms again, after so long, that I just gave in. Held his sobbing face to my shoulder and buried mine in his hair. I was taller than he was now. When his tears subsided, I simply led him out of the Great Hall, completely oblivious to the stunned silence that stretched even to the enchanted ceiling. Never in all her years had Hogwarts seen anything such as this. Two blatant rivals in a loving embrace. Not one person would ever expect Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy, to be lovers.

Now you must be wondering how this came to be?

I will tell you, but I won't start at the beginning. The tale, you see, doesn't begin at the beginning, but rather somewhere near the middle.

Neither does the story weave sensibly in a chronological order.

It appears, in fact, to have no order at all.

But I know the difference. The order is all-important. It makes sense only when told a certain way, with certain far-spaced events told adjacently.

And so we begin at the non-beginning, but what was a beginning for two best friends of a certain boy, and an end for someone so very close.


	2. Chapter ?

Hermione and Ron did their best to calm their friend, but it wasn't working. He was no longer screaming for his godfather, but he refused to enter the common room, or let them touch him. He wouldn't go to the hospital wing either, they'd tried. He uttered not a word to them, but merely cried soundlessly. So absorbed were they in Harry, that they did not notice the approach of one Draco Malfoy.

"Granger, Weasley, what do we have here, a honeymoon?"

Both turned to ask him what he wanted, or tell him to shove off, respectively, but when they turned to face him, it also resulted in giving him a clear view of Harry and, as such, he was the only one to see him raise his head. Draco's expression changed immediately.

"Draco?" Harry's voice was filled with tears

"Harry!?" Draco's voice was filled with pure worry, forgetting or not caring about the others, as he rushed forward between the two friends to hold Harry, who received him with open arms and proceeded to cling to him. "Harry I'm so glad you're alright, Father said-"

"He's dead Draco, he's dead and it's all my fault." He was full out sobbing again

"Who?"

"Sirius."

"Oh, Harry." Draco's hold tightened as he pulled Harry onto his lap. His fingers lightly stroked the hairline on the back of Harry's neck.

"If only I hadn't…If I'd…God, Draco." Harry threw himself further into the blonde and buried his face further into Draco's neck. He was shaking, sobs wracking his body.

"Hush, love, you're with me now, I'm here." Draco planted a small kiss on Harry's temple as he gently rocked them. A barely noticeable tear leaked from Draco's eye while he softly whispered in Harry's ear.

"Uhm, Harry, mate, what's…" Ron and Hermione had (mostly) recovered from the initial shock.

"What's going on…exactly?" Hermione was slightly more articulate than Ron was.

"I hardly think this is the time, Granger."

"Bloody hell… I've gone mental, tell me I've gone mental."

"No Weasley, you're as sane as you ever were."

"This is not normal…"

"Ron, I'm sure there's some sort of explanation for this."

"Everything has to have an explanation with you, doesn't it." Draco said softly, caressing Harry's hair. "This is quite normal, it is not my fault Harry didn't tell you about us."

"Us?"

"That's for Harry to tell, not me."

"Well why doesn't he-"

"This is _hardly _the time." Draco hissed with enough venom to make a snake jealous. "And he's _sleeping_. Even if he was awake, he's not in any condition to."

"Ron, he's right. After…after what just happened…you wouldn't be in any condition to talk either."

"But he's _Malfoy_."

"And clearly there are things going on Harry didn't want to tell us about. Harry trusts him, Ron, that's all that matters."

They all paused when Harry whimpered in his sleep and moved closer to Draco. This caused several things to happen in rapid succession.

Ron attempted to stammer something out

He failed miserably

Draco held Harry tighter

Ron renewed his attempt, but succeeded only in stuttering seemingly random letters.

Hermione slowly led a very disoriented Ron towards the common room

And Draco was left alone with Harry.

He softly kissed Harry's temple before carrying him to a room they both knew well which would give them anything of which they had need.


	3. Chapter?

I'd like to thank Olga, who agreed to Beta this for me. She's been much help

* * *

Harry Potter was sitting against a wall somewhere near the owlery, banging his head against the same wall, repeatedly, eyes closed, until a slender hand placed itself between his head and his wall…ahem _the _wall, stopping further brain damage. "Hey Draco," he said without opening his eyes.

"Hey," was the reply he received as the blonde-haired Slytherin sat beside him. "Are you all right Harry?"

"No." Harry turned his head and stared into steel-gray eyes as he said "but I'm glad at least you care," before resuming his previous position.

"What's happened this time?" Draco was slightly used to this by now, as bad luck always seemed to stalk his Harry, no matter how hard he tried to keep it at bay.

"Hell, someone's trying to kill me by entering be into this tournament, I've got an entire school of magic turned against me, my best friend's abandoned me, and to top it all off, my owl's decided she's not speaking to me either."

Draco gave a small, silent sigh as he shifted himself to sit astride Harry's legs and embrace him; an embrace which he readily accepted and returned, burying his head in the blonde boy's neck.

"I'd be pretty hopeless without you, Dray."

Draco chuckled slightly at the use of his nickname "Yes Harry, I suppose you would."

"I don't want to lose you," Harry's grip tightened around Draco's waist "I love you."

"You won't lose me Harry, I'll always be here." An Irrational statement, Draco knew, he knew he would die someday, maybe even someday soon if things continued the way they were, but it wasn't as if he didn't desperately _want_ to. He wanted to always be there, but Malfoys are logical beings, and logic states that everything that lives must die. Of course, Harry was defying logic every day. Like how he could fall in love with a Slytherin or-

"Draco, don't."

"What?" Harry's voice had pulled him out of a deep thought, resulting in momentary confusion on Draco's part.

"Don't think about it," Harry said as he lovingly caressed the pale face in front of him "Just stay here now" he continued with a soft kiss "and don't think about it."

"I'll stay with you now. I'll stay with you forever; Merlin, Harry, I love you so much!" It was Draco's turn to launch himself into an offered embrace, and Harry's to smile. Draco's moments of abandon were so rare, even with Harry. He had suspected that he was the only one who had ever seen them. Draco had confirmed this once when he had told Harry 'you're the only one I can be myself with.'

"I think, Dray, that we need each other."

"Yeah. I'd be hopeless without you, too."


	4. Chapter? ?

Much thanks to my beta, Olga, for this chapter

* * *

Draco was on him before he had even gotten a chance to knock. Within half a second, he was being patted down for injuries and bombarded with questions about his well-being. 

It took nearly five minutes for Harry to calm him to the point of coherency.

"Harry, are you alright? I heard you passed out and-" Draco's tirade was cut off by Harry's finger over his mouth.

"I'm fine."

With these words, Harry found himself with his arms full of Draco.

"I was so worried, Harry."

"I could tell." He smirked.

"I…I wanted to tell you something. Something I found out over the summer." Draco was fidgeting. Draco never fidgeted.

"What?"

The fidgeting stopped

Draco's hand went to Harry's shoulder, then slipped around the back of his neck as he leaned in to softly kiss the lips of the dark-haired boy before him. Draco could have cried when Harry's inexpert lips began kissing him back, but he didn't; because Malfoys didn't cry. Though apparently Potters did, because something was salty; but Draco wiped the tears away as he pulled back.

"Harry?"

"God Draco, you've no idea…how long," Harry sniffled. "Sorry, I'm-"

"Adorable."

"What?"

"You're adorable, and I love you for it."

Their moment was quite interrupted by the whispering voice of Filch at the end of the hallway, saying, "A Gryffindor and a Slytherin. I must be dreamin'"

Harry could say with absolute certainty that he had never seen Draco so terrified.

"Run."

And run they did.

Until, that is, Harry remembered that he had an invisibility cloak and thus could become invisible.

It was with quick heartbeats and much peering around corners that they made their way back to their dormitories.


	5. Chapter ?

Thanks ever so to my Beta, Olga.

This is the second longest chapter that I have currently written out.

Enjoy

* * *

"Spill it Harry." 

"How long?"

"Guys, I don't-"

"Harry, we've waited all summer."

"Yeah, mate, we want answers."

Harry sighed. They had been trying to get Harry to tell them about Draco ever since they had found out about their relationship at the end of 5th year. "Alright," Harry relented. "Just nothing-"

He was instantly bombarded with questions from Ron, and questions half-started from Hermione, who stopped her questions as soon as Ron started asking another one.

"One at a time, or I can't answer anything."

"When?" they both asked at the same time.

"When what?"

"When did it start?" Hermione asked.

"When did what start? Him being my friend or him being my boyfriend?"

"Both."

"He's been my friend since first, my boyfriend since third, and I've liked him since second."

"Blimey Harry, that long? But we hated each other."

"No, you hated him."

"But he-"

"Is almost as good of an actor as Severus."

"Severus? You and Snape are-"

"Are mature enough to put the past behind us and carry on a close relationship."

"Since when?"

"Occlumency. With some intervention from Draco."

"Harry…"

"My dad… my dad and Sirius were horrible to him, I-…he couldn't separate me from my dad. I'm not him, he knows that now."

"So have you…"

"Have we what?"

"Had… don't make me say it Harry."

"Have I had sex with him?"

"…Yeah." Ron shivered at the thought of sex with Draco Malfoy

Harry smirked the Malfoy smirk "We have now, but we hadn't then. See, he came to visit me on my birthday and-"

"Don't need to know the details mate. Really, we don't."

It was at this moment that Hermione asked Harry to give them a moment and dragged Ron around the corner. He didn't bother to listen to most of their conversation, but he smiled when he heard Hermione say, "He's _happy _with him, Ron. Don't you think Harry deserves _some_ happiness in his life?"

When they came back, it was she who spoke first.

"So, what does he really think of us?"

"Well, he wonders how my best friend can be so 'singularly gifted with such extreme powers of inobservance.'"

"…What?"

"And what does he think of me?"

"He's asked me several times how you can absorb mass amounts of seemingly useless information and somehow find an incredibly useful purpose for it. So essentially, he thinks you're brilliant."

"What does he think of us?"

"He thinks you're bloody geniuses, especially after what you did to Umbridge last year." Harry responded to the question before he even realized what the twins might have deduced from the conversation. "How long have you been there?"

"Since we saw our dear baby brother being smacked around by his beloved girlfriend."

"She's not-"

"But we were using extendable ears before that. Trying to overhear the Order meeting, but you were more interesting to listen to."

"And who'd have thought that our dear savior Harry Potter was a pouf?"

"Not that we mind, really."

"Just a bit of a shock is all."

"So who's the lucky man?"

"Draco Malfoy." Harry's reply was quick, for he knew he could trust both Fred and George.

"Nice."

"Yeah, good catch."

"So you don't-"

"No Ron, we trust Harry's judgment."

"And so should you."

"And the kid _is _really cute."

"So you won't mind if he comes here to visit?"

"**_WHAT!?!_**"

"Kidding, kidding." Harry chuckled lightly as he walked away from the twins who were yelling at their brother for his opposition.


	6. Chapter

With this chapter I would like to announce that Midnight Unicorn, a great friend of mine on as well as IRL, has issued a challenge. She seems to think that my stories are 'too mushy.' I believe she said something along the lines of "I'm suffocationg on mush". So, Midnight Unicorn, being Midnight Unicorn, is writing a 'depresiongly angsty' response to each of the chapters. Be sure to check out her other works as well, she's quite good.

And thanks to Olga. Where would I be if not for you?

...I don't want to think about it

* * *

"Harry, no. Are you insane?"

"I just thought you might…"

"Know something? About the heir of Slytherin?"

"…Yeah."

"I don't know any more than you do, Harry. Except that it's father's fault. That's why I sent Dobby, to warn you."

"…You sent Dobby? Do you know how much trouble he's caused me?"

"Sorry, but he was my only option. He's the only elf in the entire place that doesn't tell father every detail of everything they ever see. I just want you safe." Draco caressed the side of Harry's face and Harry's heart stopped beating. It made up for it, though, by beating faster, and Harry leaned into the touch.

"I'll be alright Draco. As long as you're my friend, I'll be alright, you'll see."

"Harry, you know that whatever I do out there, whatever I say, it doesn't mean anything, that isn't me. This is me, right here with you. Nothing out there matters. Don't let it hurt you, Harry." He pulled Harry close to him into a hug. "I don't ever want to hurt you."

"Don't worry Draco." Harry rested his head on Draco's shoulder. "No matter what you say or do, I'll always forgive you. Cuz you're my friend, Dray."

"Dray?"

"Nickname. I should tell you though; Ron, Hermione and I are brewing Polyjuice potion so we can question you about the heir of Slytherin."

"Polyjuice? How - of course. Granger. I should've known."

They both collapsed into laughter at this, and had to stifle it with their hands or risk Filch.

"We should probably get back, before we get caught." Draco nodded and Harry grabbed his cloak. "I'll walk you back to Slytherin."

"I think I need to find me one of those, so you don't have to."

Harry chuckled "But I like to" he teased.

"It makes me feel helpless; I hate that."

"You know, you could learn that spell…"

"…no."

Harry laughed to himself as they walked back to Slytherin.


	7. Chapter ? ?

Thanks again to Olga for betaing these for me. You are amazing.

* * *

"I'm so glad you came back early Draco, I've got something amazing to show you." Harry dragged his best friend after him underneath his newly acquired invisibility cloak. 

"What is it?"

"It's a mirror."

"…What?"

"A mirror. It shows you things."

"Like what?"

"Well, it shows me my parents and my family, but it showed Ron as head boy and Quidditch captain."

"So it shows you what you want most."

Harry paused in opening the door "I never thought of it like that… but yeah, I guess." He said as he closed the door behind them.

The cloak was left on a desk as Harry led Draco to the mirror "Stand in front of it, there, and tell me what you see."

Draco nodded and turned to face the mirror, his expression slightly puzzled before he clapped his hands over his mouth and turned his back to it, shaking. He took a moment to calm himself before he turned to answer the question Harry had asked moments after his reaction.

"I'm fine, Harry, but…what I saw…" He bit his lip before continuing. "You know of the dark lord, right Harry?" Draco began rolling up his left sleeve, baring his forearm.

"Yeah, Hagrid told be about him."

"When you join him, become a death eater, he burns his mark into your skin, here." He traced the image of the mark he knew so well from his parents. "Both my parents have this mark. What I saw in the mirror... both of them rolled their sleeves up and there was no mark, they smiled at me, held me, it's just…all I've ever wanted was their love."

Harry stepped forward and took Draco into his arms. More for himself than his friend, as Draco had calmed from the initial shock, it was Harry who was shaking. "All I see is my family."

"It's alright, Harry, I've dealt with it all my life. This is nothing new; it just…surprised me is all."

"You shouldn't _have_ to be used to it, your father should _love_ you."

"He does love me. In his own twisted way."

Harry pulled back and wiped his eyes on his sleeve. "We should go." He sniffled. "I'll take you back to Slytherin." Harry took Draco's hand as they threw the invisibility cloak over themselves and walked out the door.

"Harry?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm glad you're my friend."

"Me too."

"I mean, we really had them fooled in the entrance hall and on the train. That was genius."

"But think if I hadn't learned your name in Madame Malkin's and had never sent you an Owl."

"We would've hated each other."

"Yeah."

"My father…can't ever find out."

"…I know. That was the reason for the train and the fights."

"You really should be in Slytherin, Harry."

"I almost was. But that would've made things _so_ much harder for us."

"I know."

"Night, Draco."

"Goodnight, Harry."


End file.
